Barnstead NH had a building fire call - 19 Aug 2026 2114 pm
2114 PM - report of smoke from neighbors house with explosions heard
six 2 tone sets sent - 159.90
Barnstead Fire additional call + 9 Eng 3 + 25 Eng 4 + Alton 1 Eng 2 +
Pittsfield Eng 1 + Pittsfield Amb
apparently the (inhouse) firefighters at the Barnstead fire station
were busy responding to a earlier EMS call - might have been a
stabbing call iirc - so the offduty and / or call members of Barnstead
had to go to their station to get their rigs on the road
units signing on were told "Channel 5" by the dispatcher - but most of
the response comms seemed to be on Channel 1 (159.90) - just the
dispatcher was heard on 159.90 at my location over the air
2121 - 6 Eng 1 responding with driver only
2121 - 6 Portable 9 at scene checking - check the call
2123 - caller will come out
2125 - 6 C11 at scene with electrical odor
2127 - 6E1 at scene
2133 - 6 Tower 1 responding
2135 - 9E3 + 25E4 at scene - 6 Tanker 1 responding
2136 - 1 Eng 2 at scene
2140 - 6 tanker 1 at scene
2142 - 25 C1 at scene
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lets review - 9 minutes until first unit reached scene - that was a
portable radio unit only
7 minutes for Barnstead Eng 1 to roll with just 1 person
13 minutes for 5 Eng 1 to arrive
19 minutes to get Tower 1 on the road
21 minutes for 9 E3 and 25 E4 to arrive - they might have had 2 people
each or 3 or 4
the fire location was apparently 6 minutes from the Barnstead fire station
9E3 might have been staffed at the station - not sure about 25E4
bottom line - when the barnstead ambulance goes out on a call - it
will take 7 to 21 minutes to get the fire trucks rolling
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this is the reality of fire services in New Hampshire in 2026
there might be a 50/50 chance that ALL of these fire units responded
with just 1 person on board - thats what happened at the Searsmont
Maine fire more or less
not sure how these agencies are maintaining their ISO ratings below a Class 10
Heavy Rain / Flash Flooding – Central Great Basin to Southwest, Great Plains, and Mississippi Valley to Southern Appalachians